Bob Mackin
Government secrecy and spin are damaging democracy, say information commissioners and ombudspersons from across Canada.
In a 16-point call to action issued Nov. 5, the watchdogs called for governments to adopt a suite of measures to enhance transparency and accountability at public institutions and combat rampant misinformation.
“When public institutions are not transparent, or when they communicate in a way that is misleading, this too can undermine trust and allow misinformation to flourish,” said the declaration. “Citizens may try to fill the void otherwise, by drawing their own conclusions based on incomplete or inaccurate information. This can fuel conspiracy theories and prevent citizens from meaningfully holding their governments to account based on facts rather than fiction.”
Highlights
Federal, provincial and territorial information commissioners at their 2025 meeting in Banff. (Credit: Information and Privacy Commissioner of Alberta)
The joint resolution on “Trust, transparency, and democracy in an era of misinformation” was agreed at the federal, provincial and territorial watchdogs’ annual meeting in Banff on Oct. 10, but published the day after the federal budget.
It urges governments to enact duty to document laws and set minimum standards for proactive disclosure; properly fund access and transparency programs in public institutions; support media and civil society promotion of the public’s right to know; and regulate online platforms for greater transparency.
“The regulators also commit to improving their own transparency practices, collaborating with other oversight bodies, and reducing delays in access to information processes.”
Failure to investigate
British Columbia’s signatory is Information and Privacy Commissioner Michael Harvey, an import from Newfoundland and Labrador. Harvey was appointed in April 2024 to a six-year term after the recommendation of a majority NDP committee of the Legislature.
At least twice in the last year, Harvey’s office has refused to investigate deletion of records in the Office of the Premier and at the Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation.
In October 2024, the OIPC told theBreaker.news that it would not investigate an incident in Premier David Eby’s office. Someone working for the NDP premier mixed-up social media messages in memory of the Holocaust with the anniversary of a mass-shooting at a Quebec mosque, but deleted internal correspondence about the incident.
The OIPC cited “limited resources” in March 2025 when it refused to investigate Park Board commissioners with Mayor Ken Sim’s ABC Vancouver party. They admitted using the Signal messaging app during a meeting and deleted all the messages.
Under B.C.’s FOI law, deleting records is punishable by a fine of up to $50,000.
Vancouver’s Integrity Commissioner Lisa Southern confirmed ABC’s widespread Signal use in order to keep meetings secret.
How much it costs
In the 2024-2025 fiscal year, the B.C. OIPC spent $11.57 million. Harvey is asking for a $12.25 million budget for the year beginning April 1, 2026.
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